Mary Jones To Compete In World Championships

By Kyle Williams
UTSports.com

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Former Tennessee rower Mary Jones has been selected to compete for the U.S. National Team in the upcoming World Rowing Championships in Sarasota, Florida.

The class of 2008 graduate and Huntsville, Alabama native will be making her fourth appearance for the National Team, rowing in the lightweight women's single sculls event. While Jones is no stranger to being on the sport's biggest stages, the opportunity to race some of the best rowers in the world in front of her closest fans will make this experience particularly memorable.

"This year is very special because for the first time in a long time the World Championships are being held in the United States," she said. "So on top of being able to represent my country and show off all the hard work that I've done, I also get to share it with family and friends who will be able to make the trip to Sarasota."

Jones will look to add to an already impressive resume that includes winning gold in the quadruple sculls event at the 2013 USRowing National Championships and winning the lightweight single sculls at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, Mass. later that year. However, she believes that her greatest professional achievement to date was at the Pan American Games in 2015, when she defeated former world champion and three-time Olympian Fabiana Beltrame to claim the lightweight single sculls crown.

"We had a very tight race and going into the last 500m we were neck and neck, and I just put on a big sprint and was able to cross the line first and win," Jones said. "It was such an amazing feeling to have accomplished a big goal and to have my family there to share it. To stand on a podium and hear your national anthem, it was really an amazing experience."

Preparing for an event like the World Championships is a "full-time job" according to Jones, and her rigid schedule certainly reflects that. Her mornings are spent in the boat house, where she gets in a two and a half-hour rowing workout before going to a weightlifting session three days a week. She then works out for another hour later in the afternoon, stretching and doing core exercises, and arrives home usually after 5 p.m. But even while a regimen like her's takes unwavering commitment, Jones, who earned a degree in Physics from UT, has found time away from training to pursue a master's degree online.

Now a resident of Boston, Jones takes full advantage of living in a city that embraces the sport of rowing, regularly training with U.S. Olympian Gevvie Stone and working out with members of the Cambridge Boat Club on the famous Charles River. However, Jones feels that much of her professional success can be largely attributed to her time spent rowing for head coach Lisa Glenn at Tennessee.

"At Tennessee we had a really structured program that instilled in us a strong work ethic and the desire to be competitive each day," she said. "Having that kind of structure and discipline in my collegiate rowing life allowed me to make the transition to training post-college where you're on your own a lot and you need to bring your own level of structure and discipline. The foundation that was built at Tennessee really gave me the ability to focus myself and apply myself to get the most out of my body."

Jones competed at Tennessee from 2004-2008, during which time the team qualified for the NCAAA Championships all four years.

"During her collegiate career, Mary exemplified what it means to be a Volunteer. She was always ready to put in the work, compete, and challenge herself and her crew to improve inch by inch," said Glenn.

"Since graduation, she has been patient and persistent with her training. We talk about training and performance over time; and Mary is a true example of hard work - over time - yielding great results. We are so proud that she is representing herself and our program on the world stage in Sarasota in just a few weeks."

The 2017 World Rowing Championships will begin on Sunday, Sept. 24, and conclude on Sunday, Oct. 1. Jones will not be the only rower with Tennessee ties in Sarasota. Current Vol Anneta Kyridou will also be competing, representing her home country of Greece.

University of Tennessee Athletics

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